


Something Tasty

by iExpress



Category: Monsterkind (Webcomic)
Genre: Comedy, Cute, Fluffy, Funny, M/M, Romance, Sex, Sweet, mature - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:27:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23187763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iExpress/pseuds/iExpress
Summary: Ben and Wallace have breakfast together, like they do almost each morning. One time, it goes a bit differently. From then on, a lot of things change.
Relationships: Ben Baker/Wallace Foster
Comments: 11
Kudos: 8





	1. Something Sweet

If his own job doesn't kill him, Wallace Foster figured, nothing will.

Yet another in row of sleepless night passed, during which Wallace hopelessly and helplessly tried to come up with ways to approach the resentful residents of District C. Numerous books on sociology, psychology and even self-help manuals lied scattered around the small, poorly furnished and otherwise empty apartment; numerous notes, both crumpled and otherwise, lied practically everywhere. Just as the dawn slowly started to break through the darkness of the night, the young man finally let his head wobble and he lowered it on the first page of the book he's been trying to read for at least thirty minutes, deciding a five minute rest would be alright. It took mere seconds, however, for him to sink into a restless sleep, mumbling incoherent words for a while as he tried to battle deep sleep, before his mind finally entered the distant depths of the dreamland and he slept peacefully upon his desk.

That is until by now all too familiar soft knocking echoed through the small place. Sitting up abruptly, still half sleeping, Wallace quickly grabbed his old hoodie and put it on, already knowing well who he'd find behind the door. And wouldn't you know it, Ben was indeed standing there, holding as always two cups of take-out coffee and a paper bag, usually filled with donuts or croissants or something similarly delicious. Wallace whined something in protest and Ben resisted rolling his eyes at the human. It was the same story every morning for the two of them – ever since Ben first brought him breakfast, he continued to do the same whenever he heard the sounds of angered hisses and frustrated crumbles of paper being thrown around the human's apartment continuing late into the night; and every morning, Wallace would poorly try to tell him it wasn't necessary, each and every morning Ben had to forcibly stop him from paying what he figured he owed for the breakfast.

"I've already developed a likable habit of having breakfast here with you, so your complaint can only serve to insult me."

"Ah, I'm sorry Mr Bake—Ben." Wallace mentally slapped himself, a thought obvious on his face as he frowned, angry at his pathetic inability to address his landlord informally. Finally accepting defeat in shape of a complimentary breakfast yet again, he let his landlord in. As Ben made his way through the door, Wallace noticed with growing discomfort the state of his room and without further ado, started hastily picking up the first messy pile of papers he saw, mumbling an apology as he did. Standing up, he blushed upon seeing how much of a mess he succeeded in making overnight and felt Ben's heavy hand patting his shoulder.

"Don't sweat it, Foster. You'll have plenty of energy to clean that mess up once you have some of this." He pushed the plastic cup into his hands. The warm, welcome scent of coffee brought a hesitant smile to Wallace's face.

"Much better." Ben commented the smile, making Wallace feel awkwardly flattered. "Sit down and eat something. I can tell you need it."

Wallace grinned uncomfortably, aware of the fact stress was getting to him to the point where he wouldn't eat for a whole day, either forgetting or not feeling the need to do so – leaving him heavily famished the morning after. This being one of such mornings, made him extra grateful for having such a caring landlord.

The thought of Ben's caring demeanor brought the different kind of appreciation he held for his landlord for a while now to his mind, and Wallace carelessly let a blush overflow his face; a sight he tried desperately to hide and which Ben likely already noticed dozens of time, but didn't attribute it to the shifting admiration of his tenant. Without paying much of attention to Wallace, much to the human's appreciation, he reached into the bag and pulled out a soft doughnut. Wordlessly, he handed the remains of the bag over to Wallace and the young man fell silent for a short while, indulging the sudden need to stuff himself with caffeine and sugar. Two croissants and one sweet roll later, he downed the remaining bits of his coffee and sighed contently. Full stomach made him temporarily forget all his issues and all the surroundings; for a few moments there was nothing but him, the taste of fresh coffee and donuts and the softness of the couch.

"I obviously came just in time." Ben noted, and Wallace chuckled at him nervously as he got up and walked over to the fridge.

"Sorry for being such a burden every morning." He mumbled shyly as he started heating the milk; he found Ben's strong coffee tasty and energizing, but appreciated the soft taste of warm milk after it. He could hear Ben's familiar sigh behind his back.

"If it was actually a burden, I wouldn't be coming up here every morning, don't you think?"

"I… guess so…" Wallace replied quietly, feeling slightly complimented by the comment. It has been almost a month since he moved in here and somewhere along the line, meeting Ben every other morning and talking over breakfast, has made the young man feel undeniably closer to him – Wallace, innocent and optimistic as he tended to be, tried to deny this unusual appearance of romantic admiration for his landlord, but with every passing day it became more obvious to him it was hardly just a silly little thing, easy to discard. All he could do at this point was to enjoy to feeling of butterflies and try his best to contain a blissful smile whenever Ben so much as addressed him.

A few extra minutes passed in silence as he put a spoonful of honey into the heated milk and waited for it to dissolve. After he prepared his beverage, he strolled over back to the couch and carefully sat down, trying not to spill the contents of the cup, pulled his feet up from the cold floor and curled on the couch in an attempt to warm himself up a bit better – after a sip of milk, however, it was hardly necessary, as the drink warmed him instantly and he almost giddily nuzzled himself into the couch.

"Still, thank you. You have no idea how much I appreciate your kindness."

_Thank God he doesn't have an idea._

Ben said nothing, instead just giving Wallace a playful smile as he finished his own coffee. His slit eyes followed Wallace's cup as he raised it to his mouth and he commented:

"You know, I see you prepare it each and every morning, but I've never drunk milk prepared that way."

Wallace blinked "What? You mean… heated?"

Ben snorted, trying not to laugh. "I meant with honey, Foster."

"Oh." Wallace blushed a bit. "It's the way my mother used to make it and, uh… the habit just kinda stuck."

Ben's smile widened at the human's words. Why that happened, Wallace couldn't say, but he liked when Ben smiled. He immediately tried to shake the thought off. He felt like a complete dork at the moment, but Ben didn't seem to be mocking him, at least if it were to judge by that stare. Much too intensive stare, in fact.

"Uh." In an attempt to sounds more confident about his favorite morning drink, Wallace offered the cup to him: "Would you like a taste of it? It is pretty good. Also healthy. Does wonders for skin… supposedly. I think."

 _Why can't I shut UP?_ Wallace couldn't help but wonder, by now as red as a sunset and praying to whatever deity that his landlord wouldn't take him for a total weirdo. The cup was still waiting in his grasp to be taken and Wallace started retreating his hand, expecting Ben to naturally refuse; but just as he did, Ben actually reached for the cup, missing it because of Wallace's maneuvers. Blinking, he chuckled.

"I can't have a taste of it if you're not willing to let me have one."

"S-Sorry!" Wallace blurted out, returning the cup so abruptly, he nearly spilled its contents. Ben took a small sip and smacked his lips, and Wallace, completely childishly, noticed he drank from the same side of the cup he himself initially started drinking from. It was a silly observation and rather unimportant. Why did he notice it anyway? Indirect kisses were a thing of a childhood past, when both boys and girls alike blushed at the thought of sharing a drink from the same source. It was definitely not that, Wallace knew, and it took him a few more moments to realize what was it that garnered his attention with the way Ben drank from the cup.

Ben made a funny looking face at the taste, as if something awfully amusing just happened.

"Sweeter than I'm used to, but pleasantly sweet nevertheless. I could get used to a sip of this after coffee. More, even." He commented as he handed the cup back.

For one wildly romantic and silly moment, Wallace was convinced Ben wasn't referring to the milk, but then shook his head out of it and stared into the remains of his milk instead. He found himself blushing again at the thought of the two drinking from the same cup. He glanced at his landlord and noticed with a certain dose of shock that Ben was still intensively staring at him. It was almost unbearable and Wallace smiled nervously at him.

"Is something wrong?"

"Nothing, as far as I know." Ben replied lazily, looking away for a moment to light a cigarette.

"Right." He looked back at the cup. Ben was staring at him.

Deciding he waited enough, Wallace finally brought the cup to his lips. It wasn't the indirect contact he was searching for. He simply wanted to know what it was like. To try it.

To try tasting the same taste Ben carried around on his own lips.

And there it was. The spiced scent of strong cigarettes. Black coffee. Sugared doughnuts. And behind it all, something else… it couldn't have been tooth paste, not after the all the food and coffee… did he grab a mint after the donuts? It was hard to say. But it tasted well, so well and without quite noticing, Wallace's expression melted into a smile.

"It is strong and overwhelming... but with traces of sweetness. There's something extra to it... but I can't quite say what it is."

It took him a fine ten seconds to realize he just described the taste of Ben's lips out loud and Wallace suddenly slapped a hand over his mouth, although far too late. Throwing a terrified stare in Ben's direction, his heart sank at the sight of eternally stoic Ben pulling out his lighter – if there was any significant reaction to his words, he missed it. Was he even listening to him? Did he heard a thing Wallace said? Perhaps he didn't realize what Wallace was referring to, and wasn't questioning it either. The silence stretched itself over several more awkward moment during which Wallace's face exchanged as many colors as there were letters in Roy's entire name.

But Ben didn't seem half as preoccupied with thoughts as Wallace. He lazily pulled a smoke and sank deeper into the couch, enjoying the sensation the cigarette gave him. Wallace decided to forget his little accident, deciding Ben must've been tuned out – thankfully – at just the right moment. The young man let out a big, tense breath before once again sipping from cup, now slightly spiced with the flavor of Ben's cigarettes. He smiled a bit mischievously to himself, feeling like a small boy stealing from a cookie jar.

"So, uh," Wallace started, wanting to get into any topic to get his mind away from his landlord and the childish behavior he was displaying, "did you have any luck with renting out that apartment in the ground floor?

"Nah," Ben scratched at his ear, "No offense Foster, but with you living here now, there have been less and less visitors coming to check it out."

Ouch. Obviously, that was a bad conversational topic, Wallace decided, uncomfortably returning his attention to his cup of milk and curling up on the couch. Ben must've noticed the sulky eyes, because he took the cigarette out of his mind and glanced at the man with a shifty eye.

"You can understand that, yet you let it get to you. You really are taking things too personally."

"It's not that, really," Wallace admitted, "but more that fact I'm causing trouble for you. I never even imagined I could be the reason for that."

Ben suppressed a smile. "How very kind of you, Foster, but don't let that little issue to gnaw on your conscience for too long. I wouldn't have it any other way; even if that apartment's only purpose turns out to be gathering dust, I'll know I did the right thing." He got up.

"Thanks for the company, but I can't stay too long today. Some idiot managed to break the heater in his apartment. Again." He sighed and waved shortly at the young human. "I'll see you around."

He stepped right by Wallace and paused in his steps just as he passed him, then turned around, his eyes blinking.

"Oh yeah – figured out what was that extra flavor in the milk yet?"

"No, I—" Wallace blinked when it hit him, and his eyes frantically looked up. Ben was, as always, simply looking at him, though he definitely looked as if he was trying not to smile. Wallace gulped as the red tint fueled his face, confused by the unusual development of the situation.

"I—uh. M-mint, perhaps?" He automatically replied, growing more restless and more confused every second. Ben kept staring at him and Wallace started fidgeting.

"Ben, what are you—"

"Try it again," Ben gestured towards the cup, "perhaps you'll get it right this time."

"…Righ… right." Wallace absent mindedly picked the cup up, still wondering what the heck was going on, and sipped. The taste of milk was as sweet as always, and the short lived traces of black coffee and cigarettes was gone.

"Well?"

"It's… simply sweet." Wallace was notably disappointed about it, but shrugged sheepishly at Ben. "Strange, ain't it? Guess we'll never find out now, ahaha… ha…"His shaky laugh died before Ben's relentless stare and Wallace returned the look nervously.

Then the unexpected happened.

Ben leant onto the arm of the couch and leaned into Wallace's face. He was barely two niches away. It was the first time Wallace saw his dark eyes so clearly, so up close. Only up close did he noticed how unusual his eyes were, how non-human… dangerous, almost. Perhaps it was supposed to be scaring him, but whatever it was that was resting in them, was, above all, alluring. A few long moments passed before he realized just how ridiculously close Ben was. Enough to make him think inappropriate things, if anything.

Then he felt it. The scent of cigarettes. Coffee. Sugar. And an unfamiliar faint scent, fresh and breezy.

For the longest moment, Ben just looked at him, and Wallace wasn't sure if Ben was merely giving him some sort of time out - for which he was grateful whatever the case might've been - or did he really find something worth looking in his silly, triangle-nosed face. Or perhaps, waiting for he younger man's move.

Then Ben's eyes started to close and Wallace figured he should do the same and so he did, expectant, excited and afraid; and before he knew, there was a whole wave of flavors, of spiced cigarettes and strong black coffee and sugar and slightly minty but sweet taste, mixed up in a wonderful concoction, invading his senses in the most delicate and gentle manner he couldn't even imagine before. At the time, he wasn't thinking about it, but later he wondered if he ever received a kiss as good as that one.

He couldn't tell how long it lasted, but it felt long, almost long enough for it to not leave him wanting more. When the two men finally parted, Wallace realized he forgot to breathe during the kiss; he took a deep breath before opening his eyes, feeling sleepy and quite dizzy. Somehow, his hands ended up around Ben's neck, and he couldn't recall putting them there, just as he couldn't remember when it was that Ben's hand tousled his hair or hugged his back. Ben was staring at him, his expression almost as mysterious as always – but this time, his smile indicated everything Wallace needed to know and Wallace returned it earnestly.

"This is definitely," Ben started with a silly grin, "the kind of sweetness," he landed one more tender kiss on Wallace's forehead, "I can get used to."

And so, with a soft smile and gentle pat on the blonde head of the startled young man, Ben left the apartment. Wallace stood still, staring into the door his landlord left through for at least ten more minutes, confused, exhilarated and happy.

He had no idea Ben ate mint-flavored doughnuts – all these mornings and somehow, this observation evaded him. But as that fact settled in his mind, he hastily grabbed a pair of pants and shoes and made his way to the bakery, deciding to invite Ben over for an afternoon snack. And perhaps, a little something extra.

Something sweet.


	2. Something Spicy

If the sweetness of this relationship doesn't end him, Wallace Foster thought, then sheer happiness might.

Such and similar thoughts went through his head each morning when Ben Baker brought him breakfast. In fact, such thoughts kept going through his head well after the morning, and late into the night, when Wallace would wonder what Ben was up to and, with such things on his mind, would somehow manage to fall asleep, for a change.

It was a strange thing, how one would think something like love would keep you up and giddy. For Wallace, love was more of a well needed and well deserved rest, a permanent, regular, everyday getaway from the harshness of the reality, and the thought and feeling he'd keep coming back to whenever something was set to ruin his day. Even to his own surprise, it worked better than he thought it would.

Of course, his shyness taken into consideration, none of that was anything he could vocally express, which made him constantly feel guilty and which constantly made him try harder than perhaps one should, which would often result in frankly incredulous situations. Such as the time he accidentally booked three tables in a single restaurant, each time forgetting he already did it. Or the time he stayed up extra-long just to finish the gift he made for Ben – a sort of a collage of their photos, framed – only to fall asleep in the early hours, sleeping though the day and missing entirely the opportunity to wish him a happy first month of their relationship. Or when he, in an attempt to make a romantic dinner, asked Molly for help… which somehow, he recalled, dragged Roy into the entire situation, and the next thing he remembered, the soup was glistening in all the colours of the rainbow…

Many were troubles of the young sociologist when it came to Ben, and unfortunately for him, he knew little of how expressive his simple 'I love you's' or his smiles were, because those told Ben not only everything he needed but, in a sweet, sweet addition, everything he really wanted to know; that Wallace Foster was helplessly, deeply, and shamelessly in love with him.

So much in love, Ben figured, that it was about time they would start kissing properly.

Ben wasn't sure whether Wallace was aware of it – at all – but Wallace's kisses, all of them, from the very first one to the one he landed on his lips that morning – were adorably chaste, and while he didn't really mind, he had started wondering if his new boyfriend had ever acquired skills that went beyond the boundary of closed lips.

"Could be he didn't." Molly mused aloud in the coffee shop, when Ben finally decided to share these news with her. Of course, he didn't do that too gladly – but if there was one person he trusted with any sort of personal question, and from whom he could get a good romantic advice, it was her. For a young lady, she had a far richer experience than he had expected. "I don't suppose that is the problem, is it?" She asked, frowning suspiciously.

"Of course not!" Ben scoffed. "No, I'm just not sure how should I approach it without… scaring him away."

"You think that'd scare him?" Molly skeptically asked. "He's a grown man, Ben. And a pretty confident one too, despite making a great cover for it by how helplessly naiive he is."

Ben smiled knowingly. "Yeah, I've… witnessed that myself the first time, moments before Kip interrupted us."

Momentarily grinning, Molly went on to ask: "What's his deal, anyway?"

"Just past circumstances, is all." Ben swiftly replied – perhaps too swiftly, Molly noted and knew well enough to change the subject.

"Anyway, I think you should just talk to him – or just try something for yourself, really. I mean, the worst that could happen is that he could ask you to stop, or something, and then you still need to talk about it."

"I know, I'm acting like a kid." He paused. "In the end, I really don't have a lot of faith in him, huh?"

Molly sipped her tea. "You ought to change that. Knowing Wallace, he's probably just shy."

Possibly.

"…Plus, I wouldn't say you're the flirtiest guy I know."

Also a possibility. Perhaps it was time for some advanced measures. Thinking to himself for a few moments more, Ben finished his coffee and picked up his phone. Molly didn't pay half the attention to him before she heard an energetic greeting echoing from the device:

"Hey, Ben!"

"Wallace? Hey."

Even his "hey" sounded like sweet talking, and Molly's interest was piqued as she realized – she never really heard Ben talk like that with a partner. She watched him a bit expectantly. Catching her gaze, he playfully smiled at her, before again talking into the phone:

"You doing well?... Haha, figured as much. Just keep your chin up… Don't mention it. But, say, are you free on Saturday?... Yeah? Because I was thinking, how about we spend the Friday night at my place… Yeah, we could catch a movie or two, order take out. We'd just get reeeal cozy, enjoy each other's company and sleep until we're tired of sleeping." Ben joked, dragged his words all over the place, throwing in casual flirty tones like it was nothing and it then dawned on Molly, who had thought this entire time that he was trying to prove her wrong, that he had no idea he was even doing it.

… Was he blushing?!

"Fantastic. Friday, six it is. Alright then, I'll see you tonight in the coffee shop before you go home, 'kay? Love ya."

Molly's jaw dropped.

Ben hung up his phone and gave her a quizzical stare. "… What?"

* * *

Wallace's phone rang and Wallace snapped out of his work routine. Noticing the name, he beamed and picked up faster than he knew he could.

"Hey, Ben!" He said a bit too loudly into the phone.

"Wallace? Hey."

His name and a subtle 'hey' were enough for his legs to turn into jelly.

"You doing well?"

"I'm working, so… not really, hahaha!" Wallace joked, and got a smooth chuckle in return.

"Figured as much. Just keep your chin up." It was something he had recently been saying to Wallace a lot and for some reason, coming from Ben, he found it endlessly endearing.

"Thank you, Ben."

"But, say, are you free on Saturday?"

"Yup, no work for me!"

And that's when it came. Like a bucket of water in the nice summer day but still scorching cold, pleasant and icy all in one, freezing Wallace to the spot and stopping his mind in its tracks while at the same time decorating him in the most charming shade of red that even Roy would be envious of.

"Ohyeah?" He managed, not wanting to be impolite. Ben's smoky voice only further continued to entice him with a promise of movies, good food and… getting… cozy…"

Reeeal cozy, Ben said. That had to be at least three "E's".

"Yeahsoundsgreat!" Wallace managed, and even he didn't know how, his voice stuck in his throat.

As Ben said goodbye, Wallace figured he could die on the spot of the sheer odd icy warmth engulfing his body.

* * *

When evening came, and Ben and Wallace met in the coffee shop, they haven't talked or even mentioned their "date" on Friday at all. In fact, the date wasn't mentioned at all amongst them for the rest of the week.

Wallace, for one, was too nervous about it to bring it up, whereas Ben, who could detect that from the other side of the street – well actually, right away from over the phone, figured the man could use some time to get his marbles together about it, though what was it exactly that made Wallace so nervous was still a mystery to him.

"Oh well, you'll have plenty of time to discuss it tonight." Molly was heard from the inside of the Ben's closet, checking out his small and not entirely impressive collection of shirts and hoodies. She poked her head out, mildly frustrated. "Don't you have anything nice to wear?"

"What do you mean? Most of those are Fruits of the Doom hoodies."

"Exactly! Hoodies, hoodies everywhere! Don't you want to… dress up a bit?"

"… Molly we're just watching a movie and getting pizza."

Molly opened her mouth and closed them. Ben snickered. "I think it's the crafting master in you, coming out at time like this, suggesting I 'dress up' for a date on a couch."

"Oh shush." Molly grinned. "I just want you to look your best, is all. Are you ready for tonight?"

"Yeah."

"Not nervous?"

"Nah."

"Everything according to plan?"

"Eeyup."

"And if you must be in your undies when you're alone, don't forget to put on your pants back on before he comes by, okay?"

"I might as well."

"Also-"

"Molly, is it just me, or are you more nervous about this than anyone included in this date?"

Molly paused in her mental checkup, fell quiet and then gave Ben a rather stern stare.

"I really want you guys to… to have something great, Ben. You know, I haven't seen you like this… in a long time."

"Oh…" He was going to deny it but, on the other hand, thinking about it more clearly… "Yeah, I … I guess it's been… quite a while."

Molly beamed at him and embraced him. On her way out, she winked at him playfully and said: "Stay sharp, big guy."

Ben waved and, remembering what she said, for the first time since Tuesday felt a tinge of nervousness.

But of good kind.

* * *

"Hey, Ben!"

"Wallace. Hey."

And just like that, with those two smoky-toned words, Wallace felt like melting.

"Well, are you going to come in, or…?"

"Oh, sure!" Wallace stumbled inside and put the paper bag right onto the counter of the kitchen. He had been at Ben's apartment a few times before, sometimes for coffee or tea, sometime being the one getting breakfast for both of them, and sometimes visiting in the afternoon to watch their favorite shows… and was always in awe of how the apartment of the same size and in the same building as his could look so differently. The entirety of it was so well put together, breathing with the very coziness Ben had in mind.

It had only occurred to him at that very moment that it perhaps might seem slightly strange they haven't yet spent a night together.

… Just thinking about the fact made his face burn for more reasons that he could speak aloud.

"I brought something to drink, if that's fine!" He spoke so as to distract from the fact he was burning up. At this point though, even Wallace suspected it was wildly noticeable, judging from the amused way Ben had looked at him.

"Hmm, perfect." Ben spoke as he picked up and span tin cans Wallace brought, all labeled 'ginger beer'.

Wallace blushed at the comment. "It-it is?"

"Oh definitely. I'm glad you didn't bring any real booze, if that's something that crossed your mind."

"Well uh, yeah actually but- I simply figured this might be a bit more, uh…" He struggled to say it but in the end managed with a cute smile, "… cozy."

Ben laughed. "That's so thoughtful of you. Oh, nearly forgot…" He leaned in, and pressed a short, sweet kiss to his lips, which Wallace smiled into. "I would be a bad boyfriend if I didn't greet you with one, would I?"

"I'd honestly think you are teasing me if it kept up." Wallace admitted shyly and Ben smirked, coolly blurting out before he could stop himself but not regretting a single word of it:

"Oh, we'll get to that eventually."

The reaction was instant. Although Ben enjoyed very little of it in his attempt to act naturally, as he picked up the cans of ginger beer and started stacking them in the fridge, he was pretty sure there was a new expression he hadn't seen before in this capacity: Wallace may have been embarrassed to the roots of his hair but if Ben wasn't mistaken, he was also intrigued.

"A-Anyway, what movie did you have in mind for tonight?" Wallace asked, probably much too loudly, as was his tendency when forcefully changing subjects. Finished with the fridge, Ben leaned on the counter of the kitchen.

"That depends. What do you wanna watch?"

"Oh well, uh," Wallace made a face, "I do have an idea and I did bring some things but I honestly- it's really not everyone's cup of tea-"

"Out with it, already," Ben encouraged with a chuckle. Still blushing brightly, Wallace pulled out a couple of DVDs from his backpack – all of which looked generally harmless – only to, as if leaving the grand finale for the end, put down several VHS tapes, and the first thing Ben realized when seeing the collection of incredibly old B movies in their original format was that he was utterly in love and there was no way out.

"Good god Wallace, what have you brought into my apartment." Despite what he said, the tone was clearly endearing.

"I know, I know, it's terrible," Wallace chuckled, "but I noticed you still had a VHS and a couple of movies for it, so I figured if it works, you might wanna give these a chance or something but-"

"Is that the Hills and Tears? I thought VHS was impossible to get."

Wallace perked up. "You mean, you've seen that one?"

"Oh man," Ben looked at Wallace with nothing less than wonder in his eyes, "my parents bought it at some old garage sale when I was a tiny kid, and I was terrified of it but I loved it. Which feels weird now, because I'm sure it's terrible in every possible aspect."

"It's the absolute worst!" Wallace exclaimed, his joyful love for bad products of cinematic history bursting from within him. "I-I've only seen it like, three times but every couple of years, when I forget what it's all about, I pop it in and, I-" Never finishing the sentence, he started giggling as he recalled something, "It's just—so good!" and it turned into a full blown laughter, which Ben was luckily the witness of.

When Wallace finally recovered, he realized Ben was carefully watching him.

"What-"

"You're just… really attractive when you laugh so earnestly, you know."

"Uh… I-" Before he could react, Ben approached him. Wallace automatically looked down at his shoes.

"Now, you know what I say-" his finger gently hooked his chin, lifting his face towards his own, "keep your chin up," and their lips met. Never passing that invisible boundary but terribly tempted to do so, their kiss was long and slow but never anything more or further than that.

Which is why it confused him, when he finally managed to leave Wallace's lips in peace, on Wallace's face he saw that thing once again – intrigue.

"S-so, the Hills and the Tears?"

"… Sure. Let me order pizza."

"No spicy for me, I can't handle that well!"

And that's where the intrigue had to took a back seat, because once the movie began, the two had a hard time thinking about anything else but the absolutely impressively low quality of the said media. It would be one thing if it was simply badly made but the movie was clearly a passion project of someone who had no idea what they were doing, which just made it that much more interesting and charming. By the time romantic subplot was introduced, none of the two even took it as an opportunity to get romantic themselves, since they were so engrossed with the overall incompetence of absolutely everything in it.

"Man. What a ride." Ben admitted by the time the credits rolled. Wallace, still giggling a bit, had nested himself next to Ben, enjoying the arms thrown over his shoulders.

"It's terrible, and that's exactly what's so amazing about it. It still lives on."

Well, that… "That's quite a romantic way to look at it." Ben noted, and Wallace perked up.

"I suppose you could say that, I mean… I've just always appreciated works that were made when no one else knew how to make them- there were no standards for movies back then, you know? So people always worked straight from their heart, you know? It's so-"

"-romantic, it's definitely a romantic way to look at it." Ben teased but was silently impressed, not realizing the depth of love Wallace had for works like this, and for a reason such as that— every time he thought he got to know him better, he discovered there was a whole lot more to know about him and each time, one thing after the other, made him further fall for him.

He looked over to Wallace.

"Thanks for showing this to me. I'm really glad I saw it again."

"I'm glad that one of my all time favorites is something dear to you."

"Perhaps 'dear' is a strong word…"

The two bickered about the movie as Wallace got up to get more of the ginger beer.

"Look, just because it's not good in your eyes anymore, doesn't mean you can't enjoy it again." He said as he came back to Ben and handed him his tin. Ben looked at him questionably.

"Aren't you going to sit down?"

"That's okay, I just wanted to stretch myself."

"… We'll get to that eventually, as well."

As he expected, Wallace didn't get it at first. But when redness yet again covered his face, it was clear that he got it and – Ben was waiting for it – that same intrigue, interest, curiosity, Ben didn't know what else to call it, swam to the surface of his face.

Ben stood up. Before Wallace could even register it, he found himself face-to-face with him and Ben's hands resting on his hips.

"Ah…" He breathed but said nothing as he felt those hand pull and suddenly even their chests were touching, and he closed his eyes, allowing himself to get once more lost in the depth of Ben's ki—

Oh.

Oh.

OH.

Oh my…

Wallace hadn't expected that. He didn't expected that kind of a kiss at all. He didn't expect the sudden invasion of flavors, ginger beer, and spiced up pizza and—

… Again with this? What was it that he tasted, dammit?!

This question however, whether one might think was important or not, soon got evaporated in favor of feeling the rest of the kiss out. Not because Wallace wanted to discover the origin of the mysterious spiciness but good god because that kiss was so-!

And just like that then, it ended. Wallace blinked open and saw Ben standing there, reddened, and clearly enjoying what has transpired but most of all, as cool as a cucumber, as he said:

"I told you we'd get to teasing eventually."

Wallace blinked.

"I-I have to go to the bathroom."

The reaction was instant.

"You could simply let me give a hand."

Wallace gasped as he realized his own implications, even as Ben laughed at his own teasing. "I- that's n-not- I just wanted to freshen up b-but now that you say something like that, I—"

Oh? So there was something, was there?

"You… what?"

Wallace fell quiet.

"When I say things like that," Ben repeated, "you… what?" He paused. "I mean, I hope you know I would expect you to tell me if you don't like i-"

"Wh-no! I mean—no I— Ben."

Wallace grabbed his shoulders comically and made a determined face.

"You're too spicy for me Ben, okay? Your kisses, your hands, your eyes, your- your everything is too spicy for me, and I can't handle it without—overheating! You overheat me!"

Gears turned and clicked in Ben's head and once they clicked right, Wallace had the unique opportunity of witnessing a fully blushed face of Ben Baker staring at him, touched, embarrassed and flattered and in that moment, Wallace had perhaps partially realized there was truly no reason to be so nervous, because-

"So," Ben chuckled, red and clearly flattered to no end but his voice once again as cool as it used to be, "to get this straight, you're having downright insufferably strong hots for me, and you thought I'd find that problematic?"

Wallace swallowed.

"We-well, not when you put it that wa-"

Wallace's back suddenly hit a wall. Ben's lips, hands and body were over his. On an instinct, his arms wrapped around his neck and Ben's hand tugged at his shirt, pulling it out of his pants and when those fingers touched his side, he—

"You've been driving me crazy for five weeks now, Wallace." Ben breathed as Wallace's own breathing got stuck in his throat. "I think it would only be fair to drive you crazy for five minutes."

"Soundsgoodtome." Wallace finally managed and, as if by magic, when he relaxed the entire make out session went on in an even better direction that Ben could've hoped for. Wallace's hands became active on his back and neck, his hips moved bit by bit closer to Ben's own, and when Ben felt his lips being gently nibbled on, he knew there would be a whole lot more surprised to experience from Wallace Foster.

"You know-," Wallace managed, "you know what I'm in the mood for now?"

"Mmm?"

"Something different."

…

Something spicy.


	3. Something Salty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)

If the sheer embarrassment doesn’t kill him, Ben thought, Wallace might do it himself. 

Well, no... not really. Wallace was much too kind and forgiving and understanding to hold a thing like this against him. Wallace was a man with little to no grudge for virtually anyone, and he doubted that the man will spend a thought too much about the unfortunate direction their first real night together took. 

Well... What was _supposed to_ be their first real night together. Instead of lovely memories of any kind, all that he was left with was a memorable, almost nostalgic taste akin to salt on his tongue. It was but a single factor that remained lovely in his mind, preserved forever in his memory. 

Still, Ben felt like there couldn’t have realistically been a worse way for their night to end, if for no other reason than how utterly ridiculous the whole thing must’ve looked to everyone else. 

The looks the two got when they showed up on the front desk of the closest medical centre they could reach, were nothing in comparison to the stifled smiles they got once they explained the nature of the issue. Even someone as collected as Ben could not stay as cool once he was required to tell what had transpired that led to— 

_Ugh._

When he finally came out of his apartment at noon, having spent a rather sleepless night and coming back home at 4 am, he gained an instant desire to get Wallace their breakfast, figuring he probably didn’t leave his apartment at any point but couldn’t bring himself to do it on the account of the possibility he could run into Molly. Not only was he really not in the mood to tell her about the events that took place last night but he also very strictly decided she was after all just a teeny tiny bit too young for him to tell her blatantly of such things. 

Molly, being a self-proclaimed residential mom, couldn’t let him have such hopes, and when a familiar knock sounded of at his door at some point, he had a very hard time pretending he wasn’t home. He wondered if she had keenly been waiting on him or news of them all morning. It only added to how sour he felt about the whole thing. 

Much to his surprise, however, the knock didn’t repeat itself, and when he went to check how that was possible – because he was certain she would knock at least twice, just in case – he was touched to see a big paper bag containing coffee for both himself and his partner, and a generous amount of croissants. Accompanying it was a hastily scrawled message, wishing them both a lovely day, and hoping they had a good night. He firmly decided he was going to repay her kindness somehow, even though she couldn’t possibly know she didn’t bring breakfast to two lovers but two distanced souls. 

… Or maybe she did? It wouldn’t be the first time a resident spied something they weren’t supposed to. 

… Molly had wished them a lovely day... 

Ben steeled himself. With a newfound determination, he took a quick shower and changed into clean clothing, took the breakfast Molly left for them, and made his way to Wallace’s apartment. 

He took a moment to take a breath before he knocked, and was surprised by how quickly the door had opened. Wallace stood there, not looking half as tired as Ben felt, wearing a clean shirt and a slightly smudged apron. The younger of the two looked slightly alarmed for a moment. Then, much to Ben’s joy, he beamed at him, clearly relieved: 

“I thought you wouldn’t come!” 

… Ben felt like an **idiot**. 

“I wouldn’t miss you for the world.” He said hoarsely, and cleared his throat. “So. Molly, being the absolute best that she is, left this for us.” He paused as he gestured to the bag. “She wished us a lovely day, and, if you agree, I would love to have one with you. Even if it’s just being with you while you work.” 

Whatever worries about the obligations he had for the day, that sentence put them all to rest, and Wallace quickly closed the distance between them to land a peck on Ben’s lips. 

“I would be happy to!” He momentarily glanced at the paper bag. “I started making pancakes myself but I think I can find room for a donut or two.” He grinned. “Let’s have an amazing day together, Ben!” 

They successfully avoided the topic for the majority of the day, and Ben appreciated it because he truly just wanted to reignite the normality the two have established in their relationship but he quickly realized he didn’t have to worry about it. Whatever oddities and tensions he thought there would be, he found himself surprisingly forgetting about the night before as the two enjoyed spending their day together; not doing anything special... but together. 

They went through their late breakfast slowly, watching the news and cuddling on the couch before Wallace finally decided to dedicate himself to work, though he didn’t start it until he was absolutely certain Ben didn’t mind hanging at his place while he was busy. Ben had some work to do himself in fact, and spent the time calling up a few of his tenants, going out on two occasions to check up on a few of them, and even getting some grocery shopping done because he figured, hey, why not make lunch together? - and each time he returned to Wallace’s place, he was greeted much like one would their husb-- 

Ben had to try hard to not think about how all of this looked. It was much too soon and much too fast, not only in regard to his own past but considering the two had been dating for hardly two months. It was normal for a relationship to feel right and beautiful in the beginning, he knew but he had clearly forgotten just how happy he could be... 

“Hey, you alright?” Wallace snapped him out of his thoughts. Knowing he couldn’t possibly explain the depths of his thoughts in a short answer – and not really wanting to talk about it, anyway - Ben just nodded lightly. 

“Just wandering off, is all. Any of these you can’t eat?” He gestured to the ingredients he laid out on the kitchen counter. 

“Nah, I’m good! Just tell me what to do!” 

It soon became clear that none of the two were too proficient at cooking but they compensated each other with the bit of knowledge they had – Wallace was pretty good with food preparation while it remained on Ben to combine all of it into something edible. Despite their occasional shortcomings, the quiche they ended up with was good enough for them to eat in its entirety. 

The evening found them playing Tetris on an old game console of Wallace’s. Both of them had hardly ever played it at all but got good quickly as they were fuelled by the spirit of competitiveness. At some point, Ben had done something – not exactly entirely sure what but as he playfully flicked Wallace’s ear, se must’ve done _something_ – and the younger man suddenly dropped the controller, letting out a high-pitched ‘ow’. The game announced a ‘game over’ but Ben didn’t even care to look whom for, as his eyes could stare at no other point but his partner. 

“A-are you okay?” He asked, and was immediately greeted by Wallace’s smile. 

“Please Ben, it’s okay. Just a momentary sting, that’s all.” It must’ve been Ben’s wild-eyed stare that made Wallace take a large hand into his own. “Do... do you want to talk about last night? I think we should.” 

Ben chocked on words before finally stuttering out with an incredulous smile: “I was going to ask _you_ that! You are the one who got... injured... because of me.” 

Wallace made a grimace. “I mean, yeah, but... you were beside yourself with worry. I later on realized it must’ve been a shock to you, and yet I didn’t do anything to help you... I felt so bad.” 

… Ben took comfort in knowing that, apparently, they were **both** idiots. 

“Wallace, what are you saying... You have no reason to feel bad.” He scoffed. Wallace smiled sheepishly himself. 

“Neither do you. I mean...” He grew just a shade pinker in face. “It- it was just the heat of the moment, and well, we couldn’t have possibly known about... what would happen.” 

“Point taken.” 

“I guess we both got worked up over very little.” Wallace further tried to comfort him. 

Ben grinned. “Oh, I’m pretty sure we both got worked up over quite a few things yesterday.” 

It took Wallace a moment, and when he again blushed his characteristic crimson shade, his mouth agape, Ben couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, I love that face!” He teased him. 

“W-what else could you possibly expect?!” The other man said, exasperated. “I-I told you yesterday how you make me feel.” 

“Yeah?” Ben slowly put his strong arm around the other man’s shoulders. “I wouldn’t mind hearing it again.” 

Wallace squirmed, suddenly feeling too hot in his own skin. “B-Ben, come on-” 

“I **am** coming on.” 

“Ben!” 

“Pretty strongly too, if I do say so myself.” 

Whatever protests or further words of disbelief Wallace might have had in store for his partner, they got lost in their kiss. The warmth emanating from it was enough to drive all rational thought out of his head. 

“Care to try last night again?” He heard Ben purr in his ear. “I promise to be gentle this time around.” 

Wallace couldn’t help a breathy chuckle. “G-guess there’s only one way to find out if you’re b-being honest with me...” 

Ben paused, and looked down at Wallace’s neck. The last night’s wound had healed up nicely with the help of the right salve. There were only faint, faint marks of Ben’s hazardous fangs there. ““Don’t worry. I don’t bite... not tonight, anyway.” 

He let his teeth lazily trace around the remnant of the scar and felt Wallace shiver with pleasure in his arms when his tongue joined in. The soft taste of what was Wallace’s skin drove some nearly forgotten part of him insane and, privately, he figured he shouldn’t have been so surprised to have wanted to give it a nibble, almost instinctively. It wasn’t the taste itself – monster he might be, he was no monstrous person – it was simply the fact he had the chance to claim that taste as something familiar, something he knew so intimately unlike anyone else. And it was only just the beginning. There was so much more to experience of his partner. Not only his skin, but his mouth, not only the taste, but the feel, the looks, the sounds... all in the unique way that would be his, and his alone. The possessiveness of the best kind, if you will. 

He felt Wallace’s fingers grip his shirt in what he soon realized was a weak attempt to get him unclothed. He grinned into the crook of Wallace’s neck, and whispered hoarsely: 

“What’s the rush?” 

Knowing the answer damn well, it was still fun to hear Wallace’s agitated, soft curse, and a stuttering ‘I’m _so_ done with you, Ben.’ 

“Nah, you’ve only just started.” 

But Ben decided it was high time to stop talking, and start undressing. There was just one tiny little thing. 

“Wallace.” He breathed. “Bed.” 

“Uh-huh.” Wallace confirmed. Being unable to take their hand off each other, the two somehow managed to stumble over to the bed before falling onto it. This intimate, full closeness of their bodies was something they had yet to experience, and it showed both in Bens’ sudden pause, and the way Wallace breathlessly revelled in the warmth of Ben’s body over his. 

“B-Ben.” Wallace quietly said, not himself sure why. The larger man’s hand slowly unbuttoned his shirt and slid it aside a bit, and wasted no time in doing the same thing to Wallace’s belt. His white collar hanging loosely around his neck, his belt undone, his face flushed and, best of all, his face full of desire – Ben could think of no sight that was more inviting. 

“Just relax, Foster.” The last name inadvertently escaped him but something about it really seemed to tickle both their fancy, for Wallace grew squirmy and his breath seemed more ragged as Ben’s hand moved down on him. “Let me take care of ya.” 

The lazy drawl of his voice followed the gentle but unhesitant grip of his hand and for a moment, Wallace feared he would be _done_ right then and there. He wasn’t sure which part of what Ben was doing was it that so helplessly brought him to this point but he found himself not caring one bit about it as Ben continued to rock his hand over him, so agonizingly but welcomely slowly. He managed containing his body from doing so, but his mind had exploded at the oncoming waves of pleasure. 

“Buh-B-Ben, that’s too- Oh, _goodness_!” 

So polite, even in a spot like this. Ben couldn’t help but grin to himself a bit ferociously, wondering if there was anything less pristine that he could draw out of the man. 

“Mm? You like this, Foster?” He asked softly, leaning in to land a kiss beneath his chin, down his collarbone... lower... 

He was very much surprised when Wallace’s hand stopped him by gently grabbing hold of his hair. Looking up, he was met with a thirsty, desperate kiss, and when Wallace moaned into it, it took Ben everything he got not to simply strip him right then and there. 

So, Wallace was a bit shy about being heard, was he? 

“None of that, Foster.” He breathed as their mouth came apart, their foreheads pressed together. His hot breath washed over Wallace’s face as he demanded: “Let me hear you.” 

“Ah! B-ben, I-” But all it took was a slight change, a tiny shift in the way Bens’ hand stroked for Wallace to give way to shyness and shame, and to let himself go. “Oh **fuck** that’s good, Ben--!” 

Ben merely groaned at first but then joined in letting out some similarly rough noise when he felt’s Wallace’s hand over his trousers. Content with the fact Wallace was more than just a taker in this regard, he swiftly helped him lower his own clothing, and when the air and Wallace’s hand touched him, for a moment, he wondered which one of them had had better control of the entire situation. 

Whatever the case was, finding out would be fun. 

“Nn, Wally--” Their lips searched for each other, showing each other’s faces in clumsy kisses before they touched, their hands occasionally pausing or missing an established beat because right then and there, it seemed like a few moments worth treasuring forever. 

Their bodies being way past the point of patience, however, they finally found themselves losing patience as well. 

Wallace took the liberty of stripping Ben of his hoodie before Ben himself hurriedly did the same with his partners’ trousers, and playfully pushed him down. His breathing was deep and focused as he crawled over him, and for a moment, he hesitated. Perhaps it was the fact that he managed to hurt Wallace yesterday. What if something similar were to- 

“D-don’t worry.” 

“Huh?” Ben asked, looking up at his partners shy but inviting smile. 

“I-I’m uh... prepared, so... don’t worry about me.” Wallace said, avoiding to look at his eyes directly but sporting a playful smile. “I’m going to be okay.” He paused, blushing hard as he looked Ben directly in the eyes and said: “I’m, I’m ready for you.” 

Once again, Wallace had surprised him with how easily he read the situation, and with how easily he could make Ben relax. He sounded confident in himself – hell, he seemed kind of cocky about it, truth be told - and Ben wasn’t in position to ask twice, being told, so alluringly, so desperately, that he was ready for him. For _him._

Was Wallace aware of the buttons he was pushing? Only one way to find out. 

“If... you say so.” He welcomed, and kissed his partner deeply, slowly positioning himself so that both of them were comfortable. 

“Damn it, Wallace.” Ben swore quietly, both of them slightly tense, entirely excited, and about to breach a new territory. It was terrifying. Perhaps Wallace had sensed this sensation, this fright in his body, for he put his hands softly on Bens’ face as he spoke. 

“You know that I love you.” 

It wasn’t a question. Ben’s face gained the similarly crimson shade Wallace sported so often. 

“Fuck, Wallace, I-” Ben practically barked, so close to making their bodies one. So close yet-- “What are you doing to me...” So close, but--! Something was still left unsaid... 

“ **I fucking adore you.** " 

Slowly, and only a little bit painfully, their bodies joined and Wallace breathed. Squirmed for a moment. Relaxed, panted, looked Ben in the eyes. Breaths mixed, their noise and their air, and Ben gently, gently, _gently_ rocked a single time, testing his partner’s limits. Wallace gasped, whispered something that Ben couldn’t quite hear but didn’t need to, for Wallace repeated it. 

“S-slowly.” He repeated. Ben nodded, not even noticing he did so, suddenly entranced with Wallace’s face and focused on reading it. As slowly as his partner had requested it, he moved his body in a rhythm, and for a while, Wallace just breathed, and Ben breathed with him. 

… Then it came. 

“Ooh, Ben.” His voice had dropped an octave, and when Wallace’s eyes opened, there were depth of his desire Ben had never seen before, accompanied with a single, simple, all-encompassing word: 

“ **_Yes_ **.” 

The rhythm was just as slow but the thrusts Ben gave him grew gradually stronger. Gradually firmer. Gradually increasing the amount and volume of his tenants' voice, gradually making his body move more and more in rhythm with his, as much as his position allowed. There came a point where Wallace lost his voice and then regained it just as quickly and Ben could have only guessed that Wallace was indeed enjoying this as much as he was. 

The little self-restraint he had, he was slowly letting go off, and Wallace seemed not to mind anymore. Though reddened, though so shy, though usually so polite and pure and proper, before him was now his partner loose of his inhibitions, enjoying him, _him_ of all people, and Ben could find no greater happiness nor pleasure in seeing that happening right before his eyes, seeing that he was the one responsible for it. 

Losing all track of time, and any semblance of control, Ben let his instincts come over him. His rhythm sped up, his movement become more desperate, and he crashed forward to capture his partner’s mouth in his, to hold firm one of his hands, to adjust the grip on his hip better, never stopping to rest nor give Wallace pause, because his body screamed at him to keep going, close, it was so close... but why should it ever end? Let it never, never end... 

It seemed ages before he shuddered and saw a vision of flowery colours burst before his eyes. He desperately gasped for breath, feeling dizzy and overwhelmed by the sudden needs so far neglected, primarily thirst. He looked down at the man below him, Wallace’s torso covered in his own fluids, and realized he didn't know when it had happened. Wallace, however, didn’t seem to care, if his relaxed smile of pleasure was any indication. 

He heard him moan, a soft, satisfied moan, and felt like doing all of this again, just to be able to convince himself he succeeding in making Wallace this happy. 

“Ben...” Wallace began, voice slightly shaking, “that was... oh, _goodness.”_

Back came the goodness, and with it, Ben’s grin. 

“Goodness, indeed.” He confirmed teasingly, still catching his breath. There was no way he couldn’t comment on this. “Wallace, you... are _incredible_.” 

“W-what?” For all the things they just did, he still managed to blush at simple compliments like these. Of course, this couldn’t go down without an attempt at rambling. “I mean... I, I didn’t want you to think me selfish or unprepared... so I just-” 

“Wallace.” Ben cut off, pulling Wallace up into a sitting position, pecking his lips, and then endearingly saying. “You showed me everything I need to know.” 

Wallace laughed, suddenly and sweetly, and grinned. “I’m... I’m glad you caught onto it.” 

“Heh. Was hard not to.” 

They lay down and covered themselves up with thin sheets, the air in the room hot, tangy with the scent of their sweat. 

Which reminded Ben... 

He gave a sloppy, silly smooch to Wallace’s neck. 

“Tickles!” Wallace managed. 

The taste of his skin. 

As wonderful as the rest of him. 

As all of him.


End file.
